


FZZT

by Persiflage



Series: AoS Alternate Endings [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, F/M, Hugs, Older Man/Younger Woman, Scars, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 08:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3350426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye makes Coulson an offer he doesn't expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	FZZT

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/gifts).



> Sorry this one's not smutty.

Coulson is looking at his latest medical report when Skye knocks on his door.

"Hey AC," she starts, then stops as he looks over at her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he tells her, and gestures for her to come in. "What can I do for you?"

She shakes her head. "You know what? It's not important. I'm obviously disturbing you, so I'll come back later. Or tomorrow."

"Skye," he says softly, then walks across to where she's standing just inside his door, tablet in hand. "Take a seat." He gestures at the couch and she sits down, then gives him an openly curious look when he slides his door closed.

"You don't have to do that, you know," he says gently as he sits beside her. When she looks confused, he elaborates. "You try to be so self-effacing all the time, and it's not necessary, not any more. You're here on the Bus at my invitation, because I _want_ you to be here. You're as important a part of this team as Jemma or anyone else, okay?"

She nods, biting her bottom lip, as if she's trying to hide her feelings, and he reaches down to clasp her hand as it rests on her knee.

"I know why you do it," he tells her, "and I know it's probably instinctive by now, but it's a habit I'd like to see you break. Your ideas and opinions are important to me. You help me to see things differently, more clearly, and you remind me of the reason I joined SHIELD in the first place." He squeezes her fingers, then asks, "What did you want to see me about?"

She clears her throat, then tells him about the idea she's had for tracking down Centipede's labs, and he only releases her hand when she gives him the tablet so that he can give her the necessary computer access she needs to activate the exploit.

After he hands the tablet back she continues sitting beside him, her eyes on his face, as if she's scrutinising him.

"What's worrying you, AC?" she asks quietly. "Is it Jemma? Because I'm pretty sure she's okay now – she had Fitz run a whole bunch of tests on her once she was back aboard the Bus."

He shakes his head. "It's not Simmons," he says. "She's amazingly resilient, although she might have nightmares for a little while."

"Is it the fireman?" she asks. "Or is it what you told him? You told him you'd died."

Her voice has gone shaky, and he clasps her hand again, but she immediately pulls it free in order to wrap her arms around his neck. He finds himself half reluctant to hug her back – not because he thinks it'd be inappropriate, but because he's aware of how often he's thought about holding her. Eventually, however, he gives in and puts his arms around her.

"When you told me you'd taken a hit at the Battle of New York, you didn't mention you'd died."

"It was only for eight seconds," he tells her, "or possibly forty. There are conflicting reports. Anyway, I've been feeling a bit – not sick exactly, but off – like I'm not really myself any more." He sighs. "It was bothering me enough that I got Simmons to run a full medical for me."

"What did it say?" Skye asks in a whisper, and he leans back to look her in the eyes so that she can see he's not hiding anything when he tells her, 

"It says I'm perfectly normal. A little heavy on the iron."

"Does that mean I have to start calling you Iron Man now?" she asks, and he laughs aloud, startled that she's made the same joke as he was about to make.

"Probably not."

"Good, 'cos I prefer AC." She rubs her hand across his shoulder blades. "Is it so very surprising that you feel different, though? I mean, you died, even if only for a little while. That's bound to change how you feel about yourself, and the world. It was a pretty sharp reminder that you're mortal. What?"

He realises he should've known she'd notice his wince at the word 'sharp', after all, it's not her fault – he hasn't told her just _how_ he died.

"It's nothing," he mutters.

"AC," she says, in the sort of no-nonsense tone he's more used to hearing from May than Skye.

He sighs, then pulls back from her and she lets go of him, then stares wide-eyed as he quickly unfastens the middle buttons on his shirt, then holds the edges open. He closes his eyes so he can't see her expression, whatever shock or revulsion she might feel is not something he needs to know about.

His eyes snap open, however, when he feels a touch of warmth on his skin, and he finds Skye is looking neither horrified nor revolted, but rather sorrowful, as her index finger lightly traces the path of his scar down his chest.

"AC," she whispers, and he sees she's barely holding back tears. "What happened?"

"Thor's brother, Loki. He stabbed me in the heart with a spear."

She puts a hand over her mouth, and he hears her swallow. "Does it hurt?"

"It aches sometimes, if I've been out in the field, getting into fights."

She wraps her arms around him again and he hears her sniffling, and he rubs a hand up and down her back.

"It's okay, Skye," he says softly.

"Yeah," she says, her voice still sounding shaky. "I know. It's just – I'm so sorry, AC, that something like that happened to you."

"Well, if it hadn't, I might not have met you. You definitely wouldn't have ended up working for SHIELD, though, 'cos the man I was before New York would not have wanted you on this Bus."

"Why?" she asks, pulling back to look at him.

He chuckles. "I was such a stickler for the rules, I wouldn't have approved of you and your methods one bit, although – " He cuts himself off quickly, realising he's almost said too much.

"Although what?" Her eyebrows are raised and her lips pursed, and she looks altogether too intrigued – which is a good look on her – even if it's a bad thing for him.

He shakes his head, tight-lipped, and she pouts. "Come on, AC," she says in a wheedling tone. "Tell me. Please?"

He sighs, and she seems to sense she's won because she gives him a cheeky grin.

"I shouldn't tell you this," he says. "It's highly unprofessional."

"Well now you _have_ to tell me," she says firmly.

He closes his eyes, wishing desperately that he was much better at saying 'No' to Skye. "The man I was before the Battle of New York wouldn't have had you on the Bus, but he'd still have wanted you in his life."

He swallows, wishing he dared to look and see what face she's making right now. "Please don't hate me," he adds, then opens his eyes because she still hasn't said anything.

Her eyes are wide again, and she's staring at him, but she doesn't look too horrified by his admission. "AC. Why would I hate you for admitting you like me?"

"I'm old enough to be your father," he points out.

"Yeah, but that's not how you think of me, is it? I mean, you're always flirting with me, and I've seen the way you look at me sometimes. It's definitely not fatherly."

He can feel his ears beginning to burn, but he can't back down, not now. "No, Skye, I'm not interested in being your father substitute." He swallows. "What I want is quite different."

"And does this have anything to do with what you want?" she asks, and traces a finger around the outline of his erection, which is pressing hard against the inside of his pants.

Coulson swallows hard, then nods, unable to get any words out as Skye slides the palm of her hand down his length, then cups him through his pants.

"Say it, _Phil_ ," she says in a soft voice, emphasising his first name. "Tell me what you want."

"Oh god, Skye," he moans. "I want you. I want to make love to you. I want to wake up next to you. To have your face be the last one I see at night."

She smiles at him, a brilliant smile that makes him smile widely back.

"But what about the rules?" she asks. "Isn't there SHIELD protocol against that kind of relationship?"

"Yeah," he sighs heavily.

"So what are you gonna do, AC?"

He shrugs. "Quit my job, I guess."

She looks at him, her face a picture of astonishment. "You'd do that?" she asks disbelievingly. "Give up your career for the sake of being with me?" He nods emphatically, and she leans in to kiss him hard.

"That's the nicest offer anyone's ever made me," she tells him. "But I don't want you to do that." She chuckles softly. "You're a secret agent, Phil, so let's do the undercover thing."

He gapes at her. "You want a secret relationship with me?"

She shrugs. "I want _a_ relationship with you. Whether it's private between the two of us, or something we shout from the rooftops, doesn't matter to me. What does matter is that you don't throw away your career." She gets to her feet, which surprises him. "Think it over," she tells him, "and let me know. Just remember that I'm very good at keeping secrets. I'm pretty sure you are too, Agent."

She smirks at him, probably because she's never called him 'Agent' before, then saunters out with the tablet tucked under her arm.

Coulson's stunned by her suggestion, though he thinks it makes perfect sense, and it occurs to him that it would be interesting to see how long they can keep it up without anyone, especially May, noticing.

He decides to give it an hour or two before he lets Skye know that he's in.


End file.
